Printed Letter by Rabbi Shmuel Salant – Polemic of "Kollel America"

Printed leaf – letter by Rabbi Shmuel Salant, to R' Leib Rottenberg and to R' Yitzchak Zvi Beilin. Response to the slander of the people of "Kollel America" against the Vaad HaKlali in Jerusalem and about the opinion of the Brisker Rav on the polemic of "Kollel America". Jerusalem, 1897.
The establishment in 1996 of "Kollel Tiferet Yerushalayim" known by the name of "Kollel America", roused a great storm in Jerusalem. At that time all the Ashkenazi kollelim in Jerusalem were united in the framework of the Vaad HaKlali – Knesset Yisrael and the establishment of an independent kollel would harm the income of the rest of the kollelim and may even cause a break in their unity. The kollel was established following claims that the Vaad HaKlali did not distribute the monies fairly and the Brisker Rav, Rabbi Yehoshua Leib (the Maharil) Diskin supported the move to establish the new kollel. On the other hand, Rabbi Shmuel Salant supported the Vaad HaKlali and strictly opposed the establishment of the new kollel. He announced that "the destruction of the Vaad HaKlali is the destruction of the whole yishuv". The rabbis of Jerusalem who headed the various kollelim joined Rabbi Shmuel Salant in his opposition. This matter sparked a great dispute and those who supported the Brisker Rav clashed with the members of the Vaad HaKlali as reflected in this letter. In the first stage of the polemic, before the Maharil Diskin's support of the new kollel became distinct, Rabbi Shmuel Salant claimed in this letter that the Brisker Rav is being extorted by the members of "Kollel America" but he does not really support them and his signature on their proclamations is forged. He adds that the Brisker Rav himself "sent me an excellent G-d fearing Torah scholar to request in his name that I publicize that this is a complete falsehood because he is not involved at all in the matter of Kollel America and he has never given his approval of it…". But on Erev Rosh Hashana 1898, the Maharil Diskin wrote an explicit letter: "I have approved the establishment of Kollel America".
Leaf, 33cm. Good condition, folding marks, tears to paper folds (without damage to text).